BHSU students serving in State Legislature

Three Black Hills State University students are taking an active role in the state Legislative session as interns. Pictured left to right, Cole Uecker, senior political science major from Pierre; House of Representatives Speaker Pro Tempore Val Rausch; Ashley Uthe, senior elementary education major from Presho; House of Representatives Speaker Tim Rave; and Cody Rhoden, senior business management major from Union Center.

Three Black Hills State University students are taking an active role in the state Legislative session.

This year the BHSU student interns are all working for House Republicans. There are a total of 22 legislative college student interns for the session: 9 are serving in the Senate and 13 in the House.

Cole Uecker, a senior political science major from Pierre, is interning for Representative Kristi Noem who is the assistant majority leader. Uecker is also working with the Taxation and State Affairs committees.

Cody Rhoden, a senior business management major from Union Center, is interning for Representative Ryan Olson and Representative Tim Rounds. He is working with the Commerce and Taxation committees.

Ashley Uthe, a senior elementary education major from Presho, is interning for Representative Tim Rave who is the Speaker of the House and Representative Val Rausch who is the Speaker Pro Tempore. Uthe is also working with the Health and Human Service, State Affairs, and Legislative Procedure committees.

Interns provide the legislators with the assistance they need to survive the rigors of a hectic legislative session. While in Pierre, interns can observe the lawmaking process in action, learn about the many issues confronting the state, and earn valuable college credit all at the same time. In addition to learning about government and the legislative process, the students attend weekly conferences hosted by the Legislative Research Council. Invited guests such as key members of the Legislature, lobbyists, reporters, and government officials offer insight on a variety of topics.

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